


Heart-Bound

by bookworm2017



Category: Sanders Sides
Genre: Abuse, Bullying, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of Death, Neglect, mentions of injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 02:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14178552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm2017/pseuds/bookworm2017
Summary: Logan and Patton live two different lives. Logan has two loving parents, a best friend and his best friend's loving parents. Patton comes from a broken home, with a father who resents Patton for being like his mother, and a mother who left when he was a baby. The one thing they have in common, though, is the mark over their chests, connecting them by the heart. Their soul-marks. After years of both of them going through hardships and grief, they find each other. They tell their stories. However, there are yet more obstacles for them to go through, this time, though, they have to figure them out together.





	1. Logan

**Author's Note:**

> This is a soulmate AU prompt by Tumblr user ipizzalover2003! It was so fun to write (and frustrating and rage inducing...you know, the usual). Next part will be Patton's story, and then a continuation of what happens at the end. This is written a bit differently than what I'm used to, so hopefully it flows. I hope you enjoy!   
> Also posted to my Tumblr, @sanders-specs

Soulmates are a rare thing.

For two people to be born at the exact time on the exact day that are the exact match for each other was almost a myth. There was no indicator of when a person would be born with a soul-mark—a mark set over the person’s heart, a mark that matched with their soulmate. It wasn’t genetic. It wasn’t anything anyone could control. The chances of a soulmate meeting another person with a soul-mark that was not their own was slim to none, though not unheard of. 

It was up to fate, most people said. When, where, and how two soulmates meet was not something that could be predicted or planned. It just...happened.  
As for soul-marks, well, they could be anything. Most speculate that they reflect the pair of soulmates. Sometimes they were simple, like a star or a flower. Other times, though, they were intricate and specific, like a fountain pen dripping ink in the shape of a heart. 

 

Logan was born with a small mark on his chest. It could have easily been mistaken for a strange birthmark. Too many times, though, had Logan cried as if he were hungry even if he’d just been fed more than enough just a few moments prior. He’d wince as if in pain, even if he’d only been lying sleepily in his mother’s arms. 

It scared his parents at first. After multiple trips to the hospital, the doctors and his parents came to the conclusion that Logan did indeed have a soulmate. They had been told that the only way to help Logan’s soulmate was to keep Logan as healthy as possible.

Logan's parents did everything they could. They made sure Logan was always careful, fed him food that was supposed to be good for his heart, held him when he cried from confusion due to emotions that he didn’t understand. 

Logan was five when his parents explained to him what a soulmate was. 

He’d been teased and picked on at school for crying without reason, his elbows and knees suddenly screaming with pain. His mother had come pick him up early, letting Logan cry as much as he’d needed to. That night, his parents sandwiched him on his bed, like they did every night when they were going to tell a story. 

“Have you ever wondered what this little mark over your heart is?” his mother asked, pointing to Logan’s heart. 

Logan pulled down the collar of his space themed shirt to reveal the pen and heart that had been on his chest his whole life. “Virgil says that it’s a birthmark,” Logan said. “He’s got one too. His looks like a rose with thorns on it.” 

His parents exchanged a look. That was news, but it was something to be talked about later. “You’re almost right,” his father said. “It is a mark that you’ve had since you were born, but it means so much more.” 

“You see, starling,” his mother said, “there is something called soulmates. They are a pair of people who were born on the same day at the same time and who have a very special bond. It’s called a heart bond, where two people share the same heart.” 

Logan’s brows furrowed. “How does that work?” 

His parents chuckled. His mother took his hand and put it over his heart. “Do you feel your heart beating?” she asked. Logan nodded. “Somewhere out there, someone with the exact same mark has a heart that is beating at the exact same time as yours. Every beat you feel is in time with someone else’s.” 

Logan’s eyes widened. “That’s so cool!” he exclaimed. “Who is the other person?” 

“We don’t know,” his father said. 

Logan pouted at that, and his parents laughed. “Don’t worry, little star,” his mother said, and ruffled his hair. “You’ve got a lifetime to find them.” 

Logan nodded, but frowned. “Is that why I feel owies when I don’t do anything wrong?” 

“Yes,” his father said. “You see, the heart bond is so close, so personal, you can feel when your heart-bound, too, is hurting. You can feel their pain and they can feel yours.” 

Logan eyes widened even more at that before they started to tear up again. “Why are they always hurting?” he asked. “I don’t get hurt as much as they do during the day.”

“Oh honey,” his mother pulled him into her arms, and his father wrapped his arms around both of them. “We don’t know,” she said. “We wish we could stop the pain. For both of you.” 

“The best thing we can do,” his father said, reaching up to brush away Logan’s tears, “is to take care of you. That’s why you have to be careful and eat healthy, and when you do feel pain, try not to do anything that might make it worse. Never be afraid to ask Mommy or me for help.” 

Logan nodded, sniffling. His mother brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. “And remember to take care of your heart, starling,” she said, tucking him back into bed. “That is the most important thing.” 

Logan nodded, smiling a little as his parents kiss his cheeks and turn his light out. He snuggled into bed as they turned to leave, but sat up again when a thought occurred to him. “Mommy, Daddy?” 

His parents stopped and turned to him. “Yes, starling?” 

“If my soulmate has the same heart as me, does that mean you love them like you do me?” 

His parents were silent for a moment, but they smiled from the doorway. “Yes, Logan,” his father said. “We love them like we love you.” 

“Good,” Logan said settling down again, putting his hand over his heart, his eyes slipping closed as he yawned, “because he deserves alllll the love in the world…” 

 

When Logan was six, his parents decided to move. 

After months and months of Logan and Virgil getting teased and bullied by peers that didn't understand, their parents got together to discuss moving. The boys had been friends since they were born, and their parents knew that separating them wasn’t a good idea. Besides, it would be better for them to have someone around who understood. Someone who could help the other out in a way their parents couldn’t. 

Throughout the conversation, Logan and Virgil sat on the staircase in Logan’s house, listening in. Virgil felt terrible, Logan knew. Virgil blamed himself for making his parents move, but Logan had to reassure him, somehow. 

“We’ll still be going to school together, though,” Logan whispered to him. “That’s good right?” 

Virgil just nodded. “And we’ll be at a new place, so the kids won’t know us. They won’t pick on us,” Logan went on. Again, Virgil only nodded. This time, though, he grabbed Logan’s hand and squeezed it. Logan let him, knowing that it was a form of comfort for him, and Logan wanted to do as much as he could to keep Virgil calm. They stayed like that when their parents eventually called them down to tell them the news. 

They moved far enough away that it would be a fresh start for all of them. Logan and Virgil were put into a class together at a new school and they made a silent agreement to never saying anything about their soul-marks. It wasn’t something anyone but them needed to know, their parents had told them. Most kids would just be jealous, anyway. 

It was better. Not perfect, but better. 

 

By the time Logan was eleven, he’d learned to deal with the pain. He knew how to hide when it happened, slowly being able to tell when it was just bruises that he could ice later, or if it was something dire. It only ever happened during school, so he had to learn to push back the pain. He forced himself to focus entirely on his school work. It was easier than having to think about what kind of hell his soulmate was going through. 

That was the year, though, when Logan learned just what happens when one heart-bound is in more than just a little pain. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Logan asked when his parents came to say goodnight. “That if my soulmate dies, I die too?” 

His parents exchanged a look. “We didn’t want to risk it scaring you,” his mother said. “We wanted you to live your life like you wanted to, Lo. Not at the expense of your heart-bound.” 

And remember, starling, take care of your heart. That is the most important thing.

Logan sighed, shaking his head. “I suppose you expect me to marry my soulmate too.” That had been another conversation at school; about how every pair of soulmates is expected to marry. It was like it hadn’t even occurred to anyone that they would do anything else. Logan was glad that Virgil had been absent for that particular conversation. He was already anxious about having a soulmate, not to mention how often his soulmate seemed to get injured (in more severe ways than Logan’s at least).

“Logan,” his father said gently, yet firmly, “We want you live your life. If that means you don’t want to get married, then we’ll support you. There is nothing wrong with that.” 

“Just because everyone else has these ideas that all soulmates are meant to be in love with each other doesn’t mean it has to be true for you, starling,” his mother said. “It’s your life to lead. Your heart-bound is meant to be your companion through it all, if you so choose them to be. Marriage…that has nothing to do with it.” 

Logan just nodded and relaxed. His parents always had a way of easing his worries. They always knew the right thing to say. 

 

Logan sat on his bed, absentmindedly tracing over his soul-mark as he stared up at the ceiling. He’d given up on sleep a long time ago. He’d felt a deep, unending sadness inside of him that he somehow knew didn’t belong to him. He didn’t know, what, exactly made his soulmate so upset, but he longed to be able to comfort them. He did so the only way he ever knew how; by touching their soul-mark. 

Over the years they’d found that the they could only feel each other when they touched their soul-mark. They could feel each other’s extreme emotions—pain being the most common one—but otherwise they seemed to be only distantly able to feel one another. Touching their soul-mark felt almost like touching them.   
It became a form of comfort. Whenever one was in pain, the other would gently trace the soul-mark. Whenever one of them was sad, not unlike that night, the other would trace the soul-mark as a reminder that, no matter what, they were still out there. 

Logan felt pressure over his heart and he sat back, closing his eyes. He pressed his own palm against his heart, letting a few tears slip out of his eyes. He only ever cried in the comfort of his own room anymore. He couldn’t explain to anyone other than those closest to him why he was crying, so there was no use in letting someone else see him so vulnerable. Even then…how could he explain this deep sadness and loneliness his soulmate felt? 

He’d made a big deal about it earlier, but truth be told he knew he loved his soulmate. He didn’t know in what way, exactly, but he knew he cared for them. He knew that once they eventually found each other, no matter what, Logan wouldn’t let them out of his life without a fight. 

 

Logan was fourteen when his life was turned upside down. 

He’d been over at Virgil’s house, working on a project. For once, it seemed that both of their soulmates were content. Logan, at least, had felt a comfortable happiness that he wasn’t exactly used to feeling concerning his soulmate, but he didn’t argue with it. Every now and then he’d feel the light pressure over his heart and he would return it, which would make that happiness flare. 

On Virgil’s part…well his soulmate wasn’t breaking any bones or getting any head injuries, so Virgil counted it as a win. 

They’d been in the middle of setting up their World War I model when there was a knock on the door. 

“Yes?” Virgil called. 

The door opened and both of Virgil’s parents walked in. Logan and Virgil had taken one look at their faces and knew that there was something wrong. Logan felt his heart skip a beat before starting to race, and almost immediately there was that pressure. He returned it, looking up at Mr. and Mrs. Sanders.

“What’s wrong?” Virgil asked, processing their troubled looks at the same time Logan did. 

“Uh, well, Logan,” Mrs. Sanders said, slowly, looking at Logan like she didn’t want to have to say it. “There’s been an accident.” 

Logan's eyes widened. “What do you mean?” Blood pounded in his ears.

“Your parents they…” Mrs. Sanders stopped, seeming to choke back tears. Her husband wrapped an arm around her and motioned the boys to get up. 

“Your parents were in a car accident, Logan,” Mr. Sanders said “They’re at the hospital now.” 

Logan could only stare at them. He dropped his hand, even as the pressure increased slightly. 

The four of them rushed to the hospital. They sat there for hours, waiting for any sort of news. Logan could only hold his hand over his soul-mark, the pressure being the only form of comfort he had. It was the only thing that kept him from losing it completely. 

They were okay they were okay they had to be okay. 

It was when the doctor came in and, gently, told him that neither of his parents had made it did Logan drop his hand and let rage fill him. He yelled at the doctor, yelled at Virgil and his family, yelled at all the nurses that tried to calm him down. His parents couldn’t be gone. Those amazing, loving people who had read him bedtime stories and told him all about space and soulmates and love. They couldn’t just be...

Gone. 

Virgil had been the one who pinned him down, held him, until Logan’s screams had been reduced to sobs. He clung to his friend in that hospital waiting room, feeling more alone than ever.

Remember to protect your heart, starling, his mother had told him. That’s the most important thing. 

They’d raised him to eat all the right foods. To exercise and be cautious. To protect his heart from any kind if illness or physical harm. 

But what about this? Logan wanted to scream. He’d never knew pain like this. Through all of the scrapes and bumps he’d endured, through all of the phantom bruises and scratches and even a few fractured bones he’d sat through with his soulmate, he’d never hurt this badly. Nothing was able to break through it. Not the pressure over his heart, not the consoling words of his friend. Nothing. 

 

Logan was sixteen when Roman came into their lives. 

He’d been a transfer student at their school. After a messy two years after his parents death—with adopting Logan, settling anything Logan’s parents had yet to settle, and generally dealing with a grieving Logan and Virgil, not to mention their own—they’d decided to move, hoping that it would help both Logan and Virgil, in any way it could. 

The addition of Roman, however, was a relief, because it meant that the two of them were no longer the new kids no one knew what to do with. Or so they’d thought. Where Logan and Virgil had struggled to settle in, Roman had immediately taken over the school. He was funny and kind and so good looking…blah blah blah. Logan heard it all. He wouldn’t have ever paid attention to his new classmate if Virgil wasn’t completely smitten with him. 

Of course, with Virgil being Virgil, he’d denied such accusations from Logan. Logan suspected that his friend felt a bit guilty having a crush on someone when his heart-bound was out there somewhere. Virgil refused to admit this, but Logan saw it in his eyes. He knew his friend too well at that point. 

It turned out that Roman had at least two classes with them that year. He happened to sit near Virgil in both, and it became increasingly clear that there was no way either of them could have a conversation without bickering one way or the other. They bickered and argued so much that the teacher had had to separate them, though that had hardly stopped it. 

When Logan asked Virgil about it one night, Virgil had told him that there was just something about Roman that got under his skin. Logan could see the crush growing though. It seemed that the only way for Virgil to feel comfortable with talking to the other boy was through half-hearted insults and nicknames. 

It didn’t help that Roman’s flirting was so blatantly obvious that Virgil defaulted to making fun of the pickup lines. This, of course, irked Roman even more.   
It was a warm summer night when Virgil approached Logan and his parents and told them that he’d found his heart-bound. 

Virgil’s parents had been elated. Logan shocked, though he got over that as soon as Virgil said that it was Roman. 

Well. That certainly made things much clearer. 

After agreeing on a date for Roman’s and Virgil’s for the two families to meet, Virgil pulled Logan aside. 

“Are you mad?” Virgil asked, biting his lip, uncertainty in his eyes. 

“Why would I be mad?” Logan asked. 

Virgil shrugged. “I…I don’t know. For finding my soulmate first?” 

Logan rolled his eyes and patted his friend’s shoulder. “I am glad that you have managed to find your heart-bound so early in your life. Perhaps now you can keep an eye on him to prevent him from hurting both of you.” 

Virgil snorted and shook his head. “Somehow I doubt that’ll happen.” 

After that, things changed. Suddenly it wasn’t just Logan and Virgil anymore. There was Roman, who seemed to draw a crowd wherever he went. The two had decided to keep their marks a secret from others, if only because they felt that it was too personal a thing to share. Still, though, their relationship was out for everyone to see. 

Many nights Roman was over at their house or Virgil over at his. Many holidays were spent with the two families together. Logan honestly wasn’t sure how he felt about all of this change, but he didn’t complain. Not where there was a light in Virgil’s eyes that he’d never seen before. Logan had overheard Virgil’s parents say that this was the perfect timing, as having Roman around was the exact thing Virgil needed. The death of Logan’s parents had been hard on both of them, and it seemed that now Virgil was starting to come to terms with it. 

Logan had to agree. Virgil was much happier now, and Logan had to be happy for him. Even if he did miss the nights the two of them had spent simply enjoying the company that Virgil now spent with Roman. Even if now, Logan felt so much more alone. 

He just pushed those feelings away like he did everything else. This time, though, he took a bit of comfort when his own heart-bound reached out to him. 

 

Logan was eighteen when he went off to college. 

He’d gotten a full scholarship, been valedictorian, and had a perfect GPA by graduation. No one had expected anything less. Logan, Virgil, and his parents were taking a road trip to Logan’s college, which meant that Logan said goodbye to Roman first. 

“Good luck out there, calculator watch!” Roman exclaimed on the night before they were meant to leave. 

Logan suppressed a small smile and nodded. “Thank you, Roman.” He glanced over at where Virgil sat on the couch, his headphones on and music blaring and his smile faded. “Please take care of him.” 

Roman looked over at Virgil, his face softening the way it only ever did when he was looking at or talking about Virgil. “Of course,” he vowed, turning back to Logan. “Is this the first time you two have been apart? I mean, for more than a few nights?” 

Logan nodded, still watching his brother. “Yes. We have been close since childhood. He is a brother in every sense to me. I do not think my leaving will be easy on either of us.” 

Roman nodded, looking as serious as Logan had ever seen him. “I’ll be with him,” he promised. He clapped Logan on the shoulder, breaking out into his usual grin. “Besides, you might get lucky and find your own soulmate!” 

Logan gave a tight smile. Roman had found out about Logan’s soul-mark after being with Virgil for a few months. Logan had told him, knowing that Virgil wouldn’t feel right keeping it a secret. Besides, Roman knew the comfort on secrecy regarding their soul-marks. Sure enough, he’d kept quiet about these past few years. 

“Thank you, Roman,” Logan said. “You have…been very good for Virgil. I am glad he has you.” 

Roman looked slightly surprised by that. It was rare for Logan to be so sincere. 

 

Logan’s first week at college was a lonely one, not that Logan had expected anything less. Still, though, he found himself aching for his old room, for the familiar sounds of Virgil’s music sounding through the walls. 

The only familiar thing was his heart-bound. Every now and again Logan would press his hand to his chest, and a warm pressure would meet his own. He’d let out a breath, feeling a little bit of the achiness fade away. They were the one person who knew just how nervous Logan was for this. For being on his own for the first time. Many times, when Logan’s heart had been racing, he’d felt the pressure over his chest. His heart-bound trying to soothe him. 

 

It didn’t take long for Logan to fall into a routine. When he didn’t have classes, he studied. When he wasn’t studying, he was in class. Every now and then he’d partake in a school event, usually at the request of is roommate, Thomas, who prompted him to come see the shows that he was in. Logan had gained a sort of appreciation for plays and theater because of Roman, even if he didn’t fully understand them. So he went when he had the time, if only to give himself something to do.

On weekends he usually video chatted with Virgil and sometimes Roman. It seemed that his brother was faring well enough, though there were some nights when Logan could see that something was bothering Virgil. No matter what Logan said, though, Virgil pretended that everything was okay.   
Logan didn’t push it. When talking with Roman, the other boy promised that he had things under control. He trusted Roman, and it was obvious that if Virgil wanted Logan to know, then he’d tell him. 

Besides Logan had his own thoughts to worry about. 

 

Most mornings, Logan went to a cafe just off of campus. Since it was away from the school, he usually avoided any unwanted interactions or just a bit of peacefulness before the morning rush, if he was early enough. 

Though, Logan had to admit that the peace and quiet wasn’t the only reason Logan always went there. He couldn’t quite explain it, but one of the baristas—who almost always worked the morning shifts—always seemed to grab Logan’s attention. They would say little to each other, but Logan was always greeted and sent off with a wide, bright smile and they’d exchange small smiles throughout Logan’s visit. 

For a while that was all it was. Logan hardly ever had a real conversation with the other man, though he would admit that he liked admiring how the other worked. His smile never seemed to falter, he never lost his cool even with angry customers. He joked around with older customers and made even the most sour looking person smile. Logan enjoyed studying him when others weren’t looking, and sometimes he’d be caught, but the other boy wouldn’t be mad. He’d just smile. 

Logan supposed that he should’ve felt some kind of remorse. He did have a heart-bound after all. However he couldn’t help but think back to his mother and father, and how they’d told him that his heart-bound wasn’t destined to be his lover, but a partner. Surely that should mean that he was allowed to date people who were not his heart-bound, right? 

The moment the thought had entered his mind, Logan cast it aside. He had no time for dating. School came first, and he could not risk lose his scholarship.   
Still, though, every morning he went to the coffee shop. 

 

It wasn’t until one day when Logan was having his usual coffee and studying for an exam that he ever spoke properly to the barista. Or rather, the barista spoke to him. He’d come over and sat at Logan’s table, demanding to know just what, exactly, Logan was studying. 

It was such an unexpected question that Logan had stuttered over his words for a moment, the other man trying and failing to hold back a smile. Logan had answered with astronomy, which, to his surprise, made the other light up. He’d grabbed Logan’s notes and started quizzing him, telling Logan to explain certain words and lessons to him. 

After that it became a routine. Logan would come in with his homework or notes and the barista would help him study whenever he got off. Logan didn’t know why the thought of seeing his new friend made him so happy, almost giddy. Or why his heart raced every time he was given that wide smile. Sometimes at night he’d feel something like fear, which he could not explain, which meant that the emotion belonged to his heart-bound. He spent those nights with his hand over his heart, feeling slightly guilty, but mostly glad that he was able to help at all. 

One day, though, while they were sitting together, Logan accidentally spilled his coffee all over the lap of his new friend. He started to apologize, but before he could say anything he felt the pain. He winced at the same time that the other did, both of them shooting to their feet. The barista looked up at Logan with wide, confused eyes. It wasn’t until Logan slowly lifted his hand to his heart—he’d done it without thinking, without even considering where they were—to his soul-mark that understanding flooded the other’s face. Understanding, shock, and something like fear. 

Logan was nineteen when he met Patton. His heart-bound.


	2. Patton part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo...Patton had a lot to say in this. So much that i had to split his chapter in half! The good news is that part 2 shouldn't take too long to get up, so it'll probably appear in the next few days or so.   
> Thank you to the support on this. It's a lot of fun to write and I'm grateful that you guys seem to like it

When one is born with a soul-mark, they’re usually considered lucky. Their parents celebrate, and the child often becomes the envy of other parents, all because of the rarity of it. At first, Patton’s parents were that way. When it was clear that the pen and heart shaped mark on his chest was a soul-mark, they threw a party in celebration. They were sure that Patton’s soulmate would be wonderful, because Patton was their son, so how could they not be? 

Everything was perfect…until it wasn’t. 

See, Patton wasn’t the only one in his family who was heart-bound. His mother had her own mark—a raven taking off to flight. She never met her soulmate, not before she met Patton’s father and fell in love. She always pretended that she didn’t mind never meeting her soulmate. She had a great man, after all, and a wonderful son. What more could she ask for? 

At least, she thought that. Until she met a strange, charming man at work. They hit it off right away, and soon discovered that they were soulmates. His mother left not long after. It didn’t take long for her to truly fall in love with her soulmate, and she’d do anything to be with him. So she packed up and left, leaving Patton with his father. She claimed that she didn’t want anything to do with the life she’d had with anyone but her soulmate. That included her one-year-old, an imperfect result from an imperfect match. 

 

Soulmate. Soul-mark. Soulmate soul-mark. Soulmatesoul-marksoulmate-soulmark.

The words were always said with scorn and resentment. On nights when Patton’s father came home late, smelling like beer and crying about Patton’s mother, they were shouted and screamed like curses. How she had never loved him, how she had lied to him for years. 

On these nights, Patton tried to stay out of his father’s way. Even at six years old he’d learned not to do anything that could turn his father’s attention onto him, as it never ended well for him. He’d stay crouched in his closet, his hands over his ears to the muffle the sounds of thrown objects and wailing for a love lost, or something like that. 

Afterwards, when things were quiet, Patton would sneak out and go to the bathroom. He’d gotten into the habit of locking the door behind him to give himself a bath. He’d always spend time looking at his own chest in the mirror, at the mark over his own heart. A curse, his father always said. A curse to everyone around him. 

Patton didn’t really get it. He was too young to understand soulmates or what it meant. He never understood why he sometimes felt weird things, like emotions that he knew weren’t his, or his heart racing when he was sitting down, or sometimes even pain. 

According to his father, it was the worst thing imaginable. He’d heard of others talk about soulmates as if it were a good thing, as if it were something special. Patton wasn’t allowed to ever talk about his soul-mark, though. He wasn’t allowed to ask questions or tell anyone about it. 

His father always got upset if he did, and it was better to keep his father happy. 

 

By the time he was ten, Patton was convinced that maybe soulmates really were a curse. That love itself was a curse, just like his father had always said. 

Teachers always said that caring for others, being nice, was always the better option. Whenever Patton tried to be nice, though, he would always get picked on. When anyone was ever nice to him, it always turned out to be a trick. Patton would end up with bruises and cuts, which were blamed on his own clumsiness. By the end of the day, usually he’d end up in the nurse's office. 

He’d sit in the office until his father came in, scowling at anyone who looked at him. He’d ask what had happened and where Patton was hurt. After the nurse answer all of his questions, his father would whisk Patton out of the office without so much as a thank you. 

He was too gullible, his father said, too loving. Just like his mother, who abandoned them. He never blamed Patton for getting picked on or bullied. No, it was never his fault.   
“It’s all because of your mother,” his father would say. “Her and that damned soulmate. Nothing good ever comes out of those things. People who are soulmates always think that they’re better than everyone else. That they’re above everybody else.” 

The words always stuck with Patton. He was terrified of people thinking that he was better than them, so he did everything he could not to seem that way. He helped people. He was kind and generous. He never stayed mad at people for too long and he almost never argued with anyone. It came naturally to him, anyway. Sure, it made the other kids pick on him, but he didn’t hold it against them. Even though he never told anyone about having a soulmate, a part of him was convinced that somehow they knew, and that was why they hated him so much. 

He never let anyone get close to him, just like his father said. He kept to himself, doing most of his kind deeds anonymously. He’d make Valentine’s day cards for everyone in the class and secretly give them out. He’d get chocolate for everyone at Christmas. Little things that brightened up the other kids’ day, but he made sure they never knew that it was him. 

 

There was one time when Patton was looking at the mark in the bathroom mirror, that he traced over his mark, lightly and curiously. Once he’d taken his hand away, he felt a phantom brush on his skin, right over his mark, tracing the lines too. Patton had gasped, his hand flying over his heart. A moment later, the pressure was returned. 

His soulmate. 

Patton had stared at himself in the mirror for a long time, keeping his hand over his heart. That was the first time Patton truly felt the connection between him and whoever was at the other end of the bond. That was the first time Patton realized that there was truly someone in the world meant to complete him, as his mother put it the few times he’d ever seen her. 

Patton never told his father about what happened when he and his soulmate touch their mark. It felt too…personal. Even at a young age, he felt that revealing that information wasn’t right. Or maybe he just wanted to keep it a secret, so it was like something that was only between him and his soulmate. 

Either way, Patton realized that perhaps having a soulmate wasn’t so bad. 

 

It wasn’t until Patton was eleven that he ever learned anything about what it meant to have a soulmate. Aside from the few things he was able to figure out himself, Patton had just assumed that there wasn’t much to having a soulmate, other than the fact that he could sometimes feel the person on the other side of the bond. Sometimes through touching the mark, sometimes through feeling alone. Sometimes it felt like there was another person sitting beside him, usually when he was in a bad mood or his father was in a bad mood or when Patton was sad because of the loneliness. 

“Today we’re going to be talking about soulmates.” 

He was in class when his teacher brought up the word. Patton’s head had immediately snapped up and he’d looked at the teacher with wide eyes. Did they know? Had they figured it out? But Patton had been so careful! 

But no, it was just that they were learning about soulmates today. That just made him confused. What was there to learn? 

The teacher went on to explain what soulmates were—two people who share the same heart, showed by the exact same birthmark over their heart. No pair of soul-marks was the same as another. They were all different. The two soulmates have such a strong connection that they can feel when the other is in pain, or when the other is feel extreme emotion.   
Patton felt his face drain of blood, so much so that he started to feel dizzy. Did that explain why he sometimes felt so sad or happy or excited out of nowhere? Why sometimes he felt pains at random times? Did that mean…

Oh god. Did that mean his soulmate could feel every single time Patton had gotten hit or cut through their entire life? Patton felt his heart start to speed up, but he tried to will it down. Did his soulmate feel that too? 

From the small pressure over his heart—something that had become a form of comfort for both of them—the answer was yes. Patton took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself and process all of this information. At least until the teacher continued. 

“The bond of soulmates is so strong that even their lives are tied together.” 

Patton looked up at that. What was she talking about? 

“Because the hearts are one in the same, they affect each other as if they belonged to one person. So, if one person were to, say, have a heart disease, the other would also have the same illness.” 

“That sounds terrible,” the girl next to Patton says. 

“What if one of them gets a cold?” a boy asked. “Or does it have to be something bad?”

“Well it wouldn’t affect them as much,” their teacher says. “The person who doesn’t have the cold will still feel the effects of the medicine and maybe develop a bit of a cough, but that’s it.” 

“What if one of them dies?” someone asked. 

Their teacher sighed somberly. “Then the other will die as well,” she says, making silence fill the room. “That is why people who have soulmates must take very good care of themselves. Everyone should, of course, but for a soulmate, it could mean life or death for their other half.”

 

After the lesson, Patton excused himself to the bathroom and locked himself inside a stall. 

What if one of them dies? 

Then the other will die as well. 

Patton couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think. Why did no one tell him about this? Why did his father not say anything? Why didn’t his mother make sure Patton knew everything he’d need to know before she left them? 

Tears fell down his cheeks, but he barely felt them. 

All this time. All this time he was letting himself get hurt, and his soulmate could feel every single thing. All the time he was hurting the one person he cared about the most. What kind of soulmate was he? What kind of person was he? 

There was a small pressure against his chest and his hand flew up to it, by instinct more than anything else. 

“I’m sorry,” Patton muttered. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry.” 

His soulmate started tracing their mark, and Patton focused on that feeling. It was almost as if they were saying it’s okay. I understand. It’s okay. 

Of course that was probably what Patton wished they were saying. He clung to that thought and let it be true. He needed it to be true. 

After a few minutes Patton was able to calm down, taking deep breaths to steady his breathing. The tracing stopped and there was a full pressure over his heart again. Patton returned it, silently thanking his soulmate for being there, and making a silent promise that he would take care of both of them better from now on.

 

Patton did everything he could to learn about soulmates after that. He read books, articles, everything save for talking to his mom, who wouldn’t have talked to him even if he’d tried to reach out to her. He never spoke about it to his father, knowing very well what the response would be. 

It was one night while searching through Google that Patton found a website made specifically for soulmates. It was a kind of message board for soulmates. Not to find their soulmate, Patton realized, but to be around other people who understand what it’s like. 

Looking through the website, Patton saw that it was all based on anonymity. Everyone had screen names, and there seemed to be both a written and understood rule that you don’t talk about what your soul-mark is. Still, though Patton couldn’t help but wonder if his soulmate was on here. It was that thought alone that got Patton to make an account. 

 

As Patton got older, the message boards became something of his only friend. He didn’t have to be anyone but himself on there, and no one judged him for it. They all had their own struggles with being bullied and picked on because of their marks. Some people even chose to live in secret—like Patton—because of it. 

Since soulmates were few and far between, people on the message boards were few, which just seemed to make it more intimate. Patton guessed that the people on there ranged from kids his age—fourteen—to adults as old as father. 

There was one particular user who always commented in Patton’s posts and never failed to reply to something. Their username was PrinceOfDreams and they’re probably the closest thing Patton had ever had to a friend. They started messaging privately after Patton had been having a particularly bad night and Prince had stayed up with him and talked him through things. 

From there they just talked. Sometimes about their soulmates, though mostly just about their everyday lives. Prince was the first person Patton ever told about his mother and what happened when he was a child. Prince had been shocked by this, telling Patton that if he ever had any other questions he didn’t know the answer to, he’d gladly help.   
Patton was in the middle of a conversation with Prince, actually, when things got a little weird. He’d been having a good day. His father was working late, which meant that Patton got the house to himself, and he could talk to Prince however long he wanted to without worrying his father would accidentally see it. 

Then all of a sudden, his heart started beating faster and something like suppressed panic started to build up inside of him. 

Cutepuppies101: Something’s wrong

PrinceOfDreams: what do you mean? With your soulmate?

Cutepuppies101: I don’t know

Patton was barely able to hit enter. His heart was racing, and it was hard to breathe. He pressed his hand over his soul-mark, but there was no return pressure. What on Earth was going on? 

After a while, his heart slowed, but a part of him felt…scared. So, so scared. He has to say goodbye to Prince—not even seeing that the other had gone offline—and just lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling, keeping his hand over his heart. He didn’t know what was going on, but whatever it was he wanted his soulmate to know that he was still there. That they weren’t alone. 

After what seemed like forever, Patton felt something more painful than any of the hits or kicks the other kids at school had dealt him. Something more painful than hearing his father bash his soulmate. It was like his insides were crumbling, his heart aching. 

The pain…it was so bad, yet somehow, Patton knew it was not physical pain. Nothing could make a person hurt this badly physically. He kept his hand pressed to his heart, willing it to stop, but there was nothing he could do. Somehow he knew, that, even if he were present, there was nothing Patton could do to stop this pain. 

 

It took so, so long for Patton to feel anything after that. He tried to fake it, force it, but his soulmate’s feelings were too strong. It didn’t help that them suffering just made Patton sad. Sometimes he’d cry at night, simply because he knew that his soulmate wouldn’t or couldn’t cry at all, so he cried for both of them. So many nights were spent with Patton holding his hand over his heart and sobbing into his pillow so his father couldn’t hear. 

Slowly it got better…but something was different. Patton hadn’t realized how much warmth radiated through their bond thanks to his soulmate, but suddenly it was gone. In fact, any emotion he felt seemed…lesser. Suppressed. 

Nothing felt the same after that, and it kind of broke Patton’s heart that something so bad had happened to his soulmate. He made a deal with himself, though, that he would be happy enough for both of them. 

 

Cutepuppies101: So how’s the new school? 

PrinceOfDreams: It’s alright I guess. There’s this adorable emo boy in my class. 

Cutepuppies101: Oh? 

PrinceOfDreams: he’d be perfect if he weren’t so annoying. Every time I try to talk to him we just end up arguing. 

Cutepuppies101: Maybe try…not arguing? 

PrinceOfDreams: You make it sound easy. Yesterday in class we had a discussion about Shakespeare, and I KNOW my Shakespeare. I am an actor and I’ve stared in a many Shakespearean play, but this boy had the nerve to tell me that my interpretation of Hamlet was wrong! 

Cutepuppies101: People do have other opinions on literature Princey 

PrinceOfDreams: I know but even when I tried to let it go he just kept saying that Hamlet’s madness was faked, when clearly Hamlet was so angered by his uncle’s betrayal that he went mad! 

Cutepuppies101: You know, maybe instead of arguing you can have a healthy debate? Sounds like the two of you are really passionate about this :p 

PrinceOfDreams: I suppose you’re right. I will try this tactic and let you know how it goes. 

 

Cutepuppies101: hey Prince, it’s been weeks since you were last on. How did everything with Emo Shakespeare go? 

PrinceOfDreams: Emo Shakespeare? 

Cutepuppies101: You’re not the only one who can come up with nicknames!

PrinceOfDreams: lol you’re right my friend. Anyway exciting news! 

Cutepuppies101: What? 

PrinceOfDreams: Emo Shakespeare turned out to be my soulmate! 

Patton froze at that. He stared at the screen for a while, trying to figure how, exactly he felt about this. 

He supposed that in some way he’d thought that Prince would be his soulmate. They did get along well and seemed, and out of all the people on the message boards, Prince had decided to talk to him. It had been wishful thinking, Patton had known, but it was something to hold onto. Now though…

Cutepuppies101: That’s great! What’s his name? what’s he like? Tell me everything! 

Well, Patton still had to be a good friend, right? 

PrinceOfDreams: Well his name is Virgil. super cute, right? And his favorite color is purple and he’s got an adopted brother who’s a total stick in the mud, but I guess all nerds are right? Anyway…

Prince went on and on. For paragraphs. Patton couldn’t help but feel a little…disappointed? Jealous that Prince found his soulmate first? He didn’t know, couldn’t really explain the feeling. He put his hand over his heart, rubbing at the soul-mark. His soulmate returned the pressure, and Patton relaxed slightly. At least now he knew for sure Prince wasn’t his soulmate. That was something. 

PrinceOfDreams: and he’s just the perfect heart-bound, you know?

Cutepuppies101: Heart-bound? 

PrinceOfDreams: Seriously? Out of all of that THAT’S the thing you want to ask about? 

Cutepuppies101: sorry, just never heard it before. 

PrinceOfDreams: Yeah, it’s what Virgil’s brother calls soulmates. You know, because we’re technically bound by the heart? Come to think of it I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say the word ‘soulmate’ before. It’s always “heart-bound” this and “heart-bound” that. 

Cutepuppies101: sounds…interesting. 

PrinceOfDreams: Not the word I’d use for him, but if you're interested…

Cutepuppies101: No princey, I was just thinking about the term. Heart-bound. It’s got a ring to it doesn’t it? 

PrinceOfDreams: I guess

Patton sat back, thinking. Heart-bound. Yeah, it did sound nice. Soulmates sounded too...ethereal. Like they belong on another planet or something. Heart-bound sounds like something a scientist would call it. A technical term. He liked it.


	3. Patton part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here's part 2! Hope you guys enjoy :) 
> 
> warning for emotional abuse, arguing, and drinking in this chapter

Patton leaned back against his desk chair, Steven Universe playing on his laptop. This episode was intense, what with the Gems getting captured by Jasper. He was so into the episode that he barely registered when the door slammed downstairs and his father started stumbling around. Instead Patton was completely entranced by what was happening. He hardly even blinked, only moving every now and then to take a handful of goldfish from the bag next to him. 

There was some crashing downstairs, but Patton didn’t think much of it. He turned up the volume on his computer, just as Steven ran out of the room, and Garnet got ready to fight, which meant that it was time for a song. Patton couldn’t help the small, excited smile on his lips as the music kicked in. Steven Universe songs were always so good. 

Suddenly, the bedroom door was thrown open, making Patton nearly jump out of his seat. Instinctively, he paused the episode. His room suddenly became uncomfortably tense, the smell of alcohol hitting him before his father’s furious words could.

“How many times do I have to tell you to turn that damn racket down!?” 

“S-s-sorry, dad… I’ll, uh, turn it down…” Patton’s response was weak and uncontrollably shaky. 

“Damn right you will!” His father turned to leave, muttering obscenities when he suddenly froze, bloodshot eyes locking onto Patton’s dresser. Patton, watching his father carefully, glanced at his dresser to see what had caught his father’s attention. 

Fuck fuck fuckfuckfuck, Patton’s heart seemed to stop, the breath leaving his lungs like he’d been punched. In his negligence, Patton had left one of his books on soulmates, Soulmates: Somewhere Out There, laying out. He watched in horror as his father’s face turned from shock to rage as he reached out to grab the book. Without thinking, Patton lunged for the book, though his father was quicker. 

“Dad, no—!”

“What the hell is this!? I thought I’d raised you better.” His father opened the book to a random page and began reading aloud. “‘No matter the distance, fate will always bring soulmates together.’” He laughed darkly. “This? This is BULLSHIT!” 

Patton jumped, tearing up instinctively. His eyes widened in horror as his father began tearing page after page out of the book. All the while half screaming insults at the book, at his ex-wife, at Patton. 

“Worthless bullshit, all of it! Soulmates will tear this world apart!” As if to emphasize his point, he threw the book on the ground, amongst the scattered pages, and proceeded to wipe his muddied boots over the ruined carcass of the book. “I thought I raised you better! You know that soulmates are a useless,” his father stumbled over his words as he staggered around the book, “worthless thing. I thought I taught you to ignore all those petty feelings and the bullshit that people spout. But you’re just as stupid as everyone else on this damned planet!”

The vein on the side of his father’s neck was popping and his face was red as he bent to pick up the book, his movements staggered. He turned his bloodshot and rage filled eyes onto Patton. “Your soulmate is worthless. They’ll rip everything you love away from you and you’ll be left empty and forgotten. They’re not worth your time,” his father balled another page of the book into his fist, “your thoughts,” he threw the page down and ripped out another, and then another, “or your feelings. They’re not worth anything to you.” 

Patton was speechlessly frozen in place, tears openly streaming down his face. A cold sort of numbness crept into his chest, filling him with a sort of boldness he’d never felt in his seventeen ears of life. He was standing before he'd realized he'd moved. Back straight and chin raised, Patton towered over his drunk of a father. 

“Get out.” Patton spoke calmly, yet darkly. 

“Excuse me? What did you say to me, boy?!” He was clearly taken aback, unsure of how to confront Patton's sudden coldness. 

“Get out of my room. Don't ever speak to me like that again. And don't ever touch my things again. I won't let you treat me or my heart-bound like this.” He was nearly cut off by his father's dry laughter.

“What’re you gonna do, make m-”

“GET OUT!” 

The room fell deathly silent. Never, not once, had Patton ever raised his voice. His father—the man who had raised him, whose care for Patton had limits, who hardly ever acted like a father—stood there, shell shocked for a moment, before breaking the tense standoff between the two. 

“Alright, fine, whatever. Clean up this mess.” With that, he turned and shuffled out of the room. He slammed Patton's door shut behind him, snapping Patton out of his numbness. Almost as soon as the man had slammed the front door, Patton lowered himself to his bed and sobbed openly into his pillow. There was a pressure over his heart, a soft reassurance that everything would be okay. Patton couldn't bother to be comforted in that moment. 

 

Patton looked through his bag to make sure he had everything. Laptop, check. Travel sized toiletries, including a first aid kit, check and check. Headphones, check. Chocolate—his small stuffed dog—check. Extra food, check. His wallet with the $500 emergency money he had saved up, check. All the clothes he could possibly stuff into the bag, check. His bus ticket, check. 

Yep, looked like he had everything. 

Patton shouldered the bag, looking around his room. It had never felt…personal. There were no pictures on the walls, no posters or paintings. The blanket he used was a bland blue one that looked and felt like it belonged in a hospital. The room was too small—probably fine for a nursery for a young child, but much, much too small for an eighteen-year-old. 

Sighing, Patton turned and walked to the front door. His father was sitting on the couch, watching TV like he always did on Friday nights. The met eyes for a moment, but his father only glared at him before turning back to the TV, as if Patton didn’t exist. 

He sighed. “Bye Dad,” he said, and left, starting the long trek to the bus station. 

 

Patton had already found an apartment before coming to the small town, he’d needed only to meet with the landlord and hand over the money when he arrived. It was still in state, but far enough from his old town the he wouldn’t know anyone. His apartment was small, and not in the best shape, but it was the best Patton could do. It took up most of his savings, so he was quick to get a job. 

There was a college not that far from the café Patton managed to get a job at, which made Patton both excited yet nervous. People his age and older…people who didn’t know Patton, who hadn’t heard about him from his father...he wasn’t sure how he would be able to handle it. 

It was a fresh start, at least. A new life. Hopefully, he didn’t screw this up. 

 

It was only a few months into his new life and Patton was…better. Not perfect, but better. It got a little rocky around the time that classes at the university started, and Patton was sure that it was his soulmate. Something just felt…off about it. It was the most emotion Patton had felt from his heart-bound—as he had gotten used to thinking of them as—in years. It was a weird mixture of nervousness, loneliness, and sadness. Patton did his best to provide what little comfort he could, and it did seem to eventually fade away into the usual numbness. 

Patton settled into a routine of getting up, working, subtly flirting with the cute boy who came in every day, and then going home to take a nap only to get up for his second job. Sometimes he’d find time to talk to Prince, though it seemed that the other was busy as well. 

It wasn’t a lot, but it paid for the bills. The jobs and sleeping, that is. The flirting was just because he could. The boy was really cute, so why not? A little crush wasn’t so bad. 

“Pat, you’re staring at him again,” another employee, Remy, said.

Okay, maybe it was more than a little crush. 

Patton’s cheeks flushed, and he turned away. “You know, if you hate this job so much, why do you insist on coming here all the time?” 

“Employee discount,” Remy says, holding up his drink. He wasn’t technically working, despite being at his place of work. Remy worked the evening shifts of the café, but he could almost always be count on to come in for his daily dose of morning coffee. “Anyway, why don’t you, you know, go and talk to the guy?”  
“He’s busy,” Patton muttered, glancing over at the other boy. He sat with his back straight and eyes down at his text book, sometimes picking up his cup of coffee (it was the same every time—a black coffee with two spoonful’s of sugar) to take a sip. Ever since the semester started at the nearby college, the boy had been coming in, at the same time, nearly every morning. The first time he’d walked in, Patton had had to take a moment to compose himself before taking the boy’s order. There was something about him—about the small smirks that he gave Patton whenever he caught Patton staring at him, or his cool, collected voice, or his big hazel eyes behind his thick framed glasses—that made Patton feel giddy on the inside. 

“He clearly likes you. He keeps looking over at you when he thinks no one’s looking,” Remy says. 

Patton glances over at the boy, but he was still reading his text book. Patton sighed. “He’s busy studying Rem.” 

“So, study with him,” Remy says with a careless shrug. “Anyway, gotta go. Leave some espresso for me.” And with that he waltzed out of the coffee shop, sliding his sunglasses over his eyes. 

Patton sat back against the counter and frowned down at the floor. He couldn’t tell Remy why it was a bad idea for Patton to even consider dating anyone, especially a customer. He couldn’t say anything about the mark over his heart, or the fact that over the past few weeks his heart-bound had felt…off. It was almost like they felt guilty about something. Or maybe that was just Patton’s own guilt. 

Many nights he’d spend in his apartment after work trying not to think too hard about the serious crush he was developing, everything his father had ever said about love and soulmates and relationships playing in his head. Every night he went to bed convinced that he would abandoned the foolish thought of dating someone, anyone, and that this boy was better off without him. Yet, every morning, the boy walked into the shop and all those thoughts slipped away at the stupid little smirk and the stupid hazel eyes that seemed to warm whenever they looked at Patton and maybe he liked Patton too…

Patton shook his head and looked up just as another customer walked in. He put on his usual smile and went to help them. He kept the boy out of his mind until the end of his shift. As he was hanging up his apron, he glanced over at the table and saw that the boy was still sitting there, now taking notes from the textbook. For a moment, Patton was confused because it was well past eleven—he usually left at nine thirty—before he remembered that it was Sunday. 

So, study with him. 

It was a stupid idea. Patton should just go home and get a few hours of sleep before his next job, but he couldn’t get Remy’s words out of his head. Taking a deep breath, he marched over to the table. 

“What are you studying?” Patton asked, his voice a lot more confident than he felt. The boy looked up, eyes wide. 

“I, um, it’s…” he stumbled over his words for a moment, clearly taken off guard. Patton wanted to squeal, it was so cute. The boy cleared his throat and straightened even more, re-adjusting his glasses. “Astronomy,” he says finally. “I’m studying for my astronomy test.” 

Patton grinned and sat down in the seat across from him. “Want some help?” Before he could answer, Patton grabbed the notebook from his hand and turned it around so he could read it. “These are a lot of big words!” 

The boy coughed, and when Patton looked up, it seemed like he was hiding a smile. “Science isn’t exactly simple.” 

“I’ll say,” Patton says, looking back down at the notes. “What’s pery…peryhelon?” 

“Perihelion is when the Earth is closest to the sun,” he said immediately, “and aphelion is when it is furthest from the sun.” 

Patton looked up at him with more than a little awe. “You didn’t even have to think about that!” 

The boy smirks, smug. “It is simple astronomy. I learned it when I was a boy with my…” his voice cut off for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “Well, I’ve been doing research on this for a long time.” 

“Then this class should be a breeze for you!” Patton said. 

“Yes well,” the boy shrugged. “It is only the beginning of the semester.” 

Eagerly, Patton began skimming over the rest of the notes. He picked out words and facts to ask the boy, and he was able to answer each of them with ease. Before Patton knew it, it was past two o’clock. He felt a bit of disappointment in his chest. His shift at his second job started at four. He needed to get home and get at least some rest. 

“Ah, I’ve got to go,” Patton said with a small, apologetic smile. 

The boy blinked and pulled his phone out to check the time. “It has gotten rather late. I’m expecting a call later this afternoon, so I should go as well.” He glances up at Patton. “I suppose I shall see you tomorrow morning?” 

Patton’s heart skipped a beat, and this time he knew for a fact that it was all him. “Yeah,” he says. “See you tomorrow.” He turned to leave, then paused and looked back at the boy. “I’m Patton, by the way. Patton Maryland.” 

The boy looks up from where he’d been packing up his things. He gave a small smile that had Patton’s heart racing. For the first time, maybe in his entire life, he wasn’t worried about his soulmate. His father’s scolding voice was silent in his head. The look this boy gave him made all of that go away.  
He stood and stretched out his hand. “Hello Patton,” He says, and if Patton wasn’t mistaken, his cheeks had a light blush to them. “I’m Logan Reed—I mean, Sanders. Logan Sanders.”

 

They met every day after that, sometimes for only a few minutes if Logan had classes, other times for a few hours. Sometimes they did nothing but talk, other times they’d sit in a comfortable silence. Patton honestly couldn’t believe that he’d found a friend, someone in real life who wanted to hang out with him and smiled when they first saw each other every day. It was...different, but in the best way possible. 

Patton got the sense that Logan was normally a very serious person. His smiles were always small, and never lasted very long. That was okay, though, because Patton could smile enough for both of them. As a matter of fact, this was the first time Patton could remember not having to fake a smile around someone the whole time. Every smile he gave Logan was genuine. Patton had almost forgotten the feeling. 

Occasionally, Patton would get calls from his father—usually drunken messages, begging Patton to come home. Sometimes they were just his father yelling at him for leaving, always ending in a spiel about soulmates. Patton never told Logan about these phone calls. He didn’t want to risk ruining whatever was happening between him and Logan by bringing his father into it. It wasn’t like Logan talked much about his family, either, and neither of them ever pressed for any information. Patton felt that they both would rather live in the moment, together, rather than any drama that happened outside the little café.  
The messages would always leave a bad taste in Patton’s mouth, and he’d be distant for the rest of the day. Logan never pressed him, which Patton was grateful for. He seemed to understand when Patton just wanted to be with his own thoughts. 

It was one of those days when Patton woke up to multiple messages from his father, each one worse than the last. He supposed that he should stop listening to the messages, but a part of him just couldn’t help it. A part of him hoped that one of them was a genuine apology for the way he’d treated Patton these last nineteen years, even if they never were. 

Patton went into work feeling sick, the messages replaying in his head all morning long. He went on autopilot, smiling at customers and drawing from a script he’d kept stored in his mind. He hadn’t even noticed when Remy came and went, shooting him a strange look. When Logan came in, he’d smiled at Patton like he always did, which was enough to be able to soothe Patton over slightly, but as soon as Logan sat down, Patton’s mind went right back to what it was doing.  
“Are you alright?” Logan asked, making Patton jump. He immediately put on his smile. 

“Of course,” Patton says, trying to channel his usual cheery tone. “It’s a beautiful day, business is good, and you’re here! What could be wrong?” 

Logan studies him with eyes that made Patton squirm. It was like Logan could see right past Patton’s façade and straight into his soul. “You’ve been cleaning the display case in the same place for ten minutes,” Logan says, crossing his arms. “Clearly, something is wrong.” 

Patton’s heart started beating a little faster, though he wasn’t sure if that was his heart-bound or Patton himself. Suddenly, though, he felt very, very nervous. “I’m fine, Lo,” Patton says, gripping the rag he’d been holding and turning back to the counter. “I’m off in about five, I’ll sit with you then okay?” 

Logan just nodded, though it looked like there was a lot more on his mind. Patton felt guilty for lying to him, but the last thing he wanted was to talk about his father right now. He just wanted to sit with Logan and try to enjoy his afternoon. 

After his shift was over, and he sat down with Logan, the other boy looked up at him over his glasses, but he didn’t say anything. Patton relaxed slightly, relieved that Logan wasn’t going to press any further. Logan just sipped at his coffee and looked back at his notes. 

Eventually, ready to get these stupid thoughts, Patton grabbed Logan’s notes and started quizzing him. Logan sat back in his seat, used to this by now. As always, he answered each question with accuracy, smirking every time Patton told him that he got it right. 

Patton felt himself relaxing as they fell into a comfortable rhythm. This was what Patton needed today. Familiarity and a good distraction. 

As Logan was talking rather passionately about a particular star, he accidentally knocked over his coffee cup, knocking the cap off and sending the liquid right into Patton’s lap. 

Hissing through his teeth, Patton jumped him as the pain set in. He’d forgotten that Logan had gotten another, fresh coffee, so it was hot. 

For a moment, all Patton could feel was pain, but after a moment, he noticed that Logan had jumped to his feet as well, and he was staring at Patton with a look Patton had never seen on him before. Shock, mostly. He was a little pale too. Patton opened his mouth to ask what was wrong—despite the rather hot liquid in his lap—but before he could, Logan slowly lifted his hand and pressed it against his heart. 

At the same time, Patton felt that familiar pressure over his own heart. Patton could feel his eyes widened as Logan—as his soulmate—stared back at him. Shock, fear, and panic flooded Patton’s mind and he ran out of the coffee shop before either of them could say anything.


	4. A Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! A new chapter! 
> 
> Thank you guys for the support on this. I'm happy that you're enjoying it so much :) Love you guys!

Logan stood shell shocked as he watched Patton run out of the café. For a moment, all Logan could focus on was the pure shock and fear that flowed through his body, not knowing what was him, and was…Patton. His heart-bound. 

The thought shook Logan out of his shock and he threw his notes and text book into his backpack before running out of the café, not even bothering to zip his backpack all the way closed.

When he got outside, he looked around frantically, hoping that Patton hadn’t been able to get far in the minute—minutes? Seconds?—that Logan had been frozen. Thankfully, he saw a familiar figure walking rather quickly towards the bus stop. 

“Patton!” Logan called, picking up his pace. “Patton wait!” 

But Patton didn’t pause until he reach the bus stop. Logan caught up with him and hesitantly reached out a hand before thinking better of it and pulling back.

“Patton...” 

“Not now, Logan,” Patton said, keeping his back to Logan. “I just-…I need-…this is too much.” 

Logan knew. He could feel his heart still racing, his hands starting to tremble, and the fear and guilt and confusion were all mingling together. Still, though, Logan couldn’t just…let him walk away from this. 

“You’re confused,” Logan said, trying to keep his voice calm. “So am I. But we need to talk—”

“Please, Logan,” Patton said, his voice trembling. “I can’t do this right now.” 

The bus rolled up to the stop then, opening its doors. The few other people around them got up to get on. Patton moved to join them, and Logan’s own fear and panic started building up inside him, as much as he was trying to keep his emotions under control. He reached out and grabbed Patton’s wrist, just as he was climbing onto the bus. 

Patton finally turned to look at him then, and Logan saw that his eyes were red. That he was crying. He looked at Logan with such a sad and defeated expression that Logan blinked back his own tears. 

“W-When you’re ready,” Logan said, pushing past his own feelings and focusing on Patton’s. “When you’re ready, let me know. I live in the biggest dorm on campus, room 108 on the third floor. Or we can meet at the café or the park or…anywhere.” Logan let go, taking a step back from the bus and from his heart-bound. 

Patton studied him for a long moment, ignoring the clearly annoyed bus driver. “What if I’m never ready?” he asked in a small, wavering voice.   
Logan tried not to think about it. He didn’t know if he could stand being rejected by his heart-bound. Not after all these years of holding on to this moment.   
Nevertheless, it was not Logan’s decision. 

“Then we never have to talk about it,” Logan said, ignoring how much saying those words hurt him. He was used to the feeling, anyway, and he was able to ignore it. “But Patton, you are the closest thing I’ve had to a friend while I’ve been here, and I would hate for that to end. However, your comfort and well being is far more important.” Logan nodded to the bus driver as an apology for holding things up. 

Patton looked at Logan for just a moment longer before he climbed onto the bus and the doors shut. Logan watched the bus drive away, fighting back the rising tears. He hadn’t wanted to cry this much since…well since his parents died. He suspected that part of it was Patton, but Logan couldn’t deny his own feelings that were nearly overwhelming. 

Well, there was nothing else that could be done for the moment, so Logan turned to go back to his dorm, well after the bus had disappeared from sight. 

 

Soulmate, soulmate, Logan is my soulmate!? 

Patton couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t comprehend anything at the moment, actually. He’d gotten off the bus and walked back to his apartment in a haze, though the tears never stopped. Once he was back in his apartment, he just slumped against the door, trying to wrap his mind around everything. 

He had to admit, he’d thought about this day for a long time. He’d spent nights daydreaming about what it would be like to meet his soulmate for the first time, what he would say and what he would do. He didn’t expect the panic and fear, or the fact that he’d have been around his soulmate for weeks before figuring out out—all because of a spilled coffee! 

A part of Patton felt guilty for leaving Logan like that. Clearly, this had been something the other boy had looked forward to his entire life, and Patton had ruined it. But…

The voice of Patton’s father rang in his head, telling him how his soulmate will break his heart, his soul. How his soulmate will be the end for him and won’t care about him. Patton covered his ears, but it did nothing to lessen the voice. It was getting harder for Patton to breathe. 

Suddenly, there was a small, tentative pressure over Patton’s heart. A small reassurance. Patton let loose a breath and sank to the floor, putting his head between his knees. The pressure became more present, more demanding. It was almost like it was trying to force Patton to focus on it. 

Slowly, Patton put his hand over his own heart and he leaned his head back against the door. This…this was comfortable. Familiar. So many times, Patton been upset or on the verge of losing it and this pressure had comforted him. His heart-bound…Logan. 

He’d always cared, Patton realized, tears streaming down his face. Logan had always cared for him, even when the only thing between them was this pressure. Even after only knowing each other a few weeks Logan had been able to tell that something was wrong with him, and that had nothing to do with the bond. Even when Patton had no doubt kept him up all night with his emotions, Logan had always tried to comfort him. Even tonight, when Patton had literally ran from him and quite possibly crushed his heart, he was still trying to comfort Patton. 

Patton thought about Logan’s face when he’d left. He’d looked so…sad. Defeated. No doubt he wanted to talk—that was the thing with Logan, he liked talking through things he didn’t understand as much as he liked sitting in silence—but he’d still let Patton go. 

Taking a few deep breaths, Patton got to his feet and stumbled to his room. There was nothing he could do now. He wouldn’t see Logan again until tomorrow. That is, if Logan still came to the café. Maybe Patton could see about getting a day off for his second job this weekend. If he could afford to take a day off, anyway. 

Patton really hated being an adult. 

The next morning, Patton tried to keep his mind occupied. He spent a good bit of the morning before they opened rearranging things in the back, needing something to keep his hands busy. He was trying ignore his nerves—he wasn’t sure if he was ready to see Logan again after what happened yesterday—but he knew that he had to face his heart-bound eventually. 

The café opened, though, and Patton waited. And waited. Eight am passed, then nine, then ten. 

Logan never came. 

 

“You’ve been spending a lot of time in here,” Thomas noted to Logan on Saturday morning. “What happened to your private study time?” 

Logan leaned back in his desk chair, giving his roommate a cool look. “I find that I can focus perfectly well in here.” 

As he spoke, however, there was a loud crash down the hall, followed by a bunch of laughing and hollering. Logan gritted his teeth and turned back to his work, trying to block out the noise.

“Whatever you say,” Thomas said, shaking his head. “You know, some of my friends and I are going out for lunch. You’re welcome to join us if you want.” 

Logan opened his mouth to decline Thomas’s offer, but there was another bout of laughing outside and he sighed. No, there was no way that Logan could focus on studying here. He hadn’t realize just how peaceful the café could be, or how easily Patton could keep his mind off of any unwanted distractions. He supposed that he could go to the library but that was almost…too silent. Also no doubt filled with students from his classes who would request his help. 

“Come on,” Thomas said, nudging him. “Take a break. You’re always studying.” 

Logan sighed but he stood from his desk. His stomach was starting to grumble anyway. “Very well.” 

 

I live in the biggest dorm on campus, room 108 on the third floor.

Patton repeated the instructions in his head about a thousand times as he made his way to the campus. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get into the dorm, or even if Logan was home. It was a Saturday, so hopefully he would be. 

After asking around a bit, Patton ended up standing in front of a large brick building in the middle of campus. He stared up at it for a moment, trying to figure out what he’d say. Logan hadn’t been back to the café all week, and Patton never got his number. It seemed odd, Patton thought, that they hadn’t exchanged numbers at all in the time they’ve known each other. He supposed that they had just always counted on seeing each other the next day. 

Now, though, Patton regretted that. It would be so much easier to just text Logan and ask him to come down or let Patton in or…something. 

While he was pacing, hoping that no one would question his presence there, Patton kept glancing at the door, watching students come in and out, swiping their student IDs to get into the building. He’d have to ask someone for help, eventually, but then Patton still didn’t know what he was going to say to Logan…  
Suddenly, Patton looked up and saw Logan exit the building, another boy by his side. Patton stopped and watched them for a moment. The other boy was smiling, talking with Logan casually. Logan was nodding along, his hands shoved into his pockets. 

He looked up then, and spotted Patton almost right away. Patton saw his eyes widen as he froze, his friend looking back at him curiously. 

“Logan?” the other boy asked. “Are you okay?” 

Logan blinked, and his shoulders seemed to relax. He nodded to the other boy and walked over to Patton. 

“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” Logan said, offering Patton a tiny smile. 

“Well you didn’t come to the café so I figured I’d try to find you,” Patton said, returning the smile with one of his own. “You didn’t mention that I wouldn’t have a way inside the building.” 

Logan looked back at the building and frowned at the ID scanner. “An oversight on my part,” he said with a small sigh. 

“So is this the reason you’ve been sulking around?” Logan’s friend asked, breaking both boys out of their thoughts. 

Logan cleared his throat and turned to the other boy. “Thomas, this is Patton. He works that café off campus.” 

“Ohh the one you go to every morning,” Thomas said, nodding. He sticks out his hand for Patton to shake. “Nice to meet you. I’m Logan’s roommate.”   
Patton shook his hand and replied in a similar manner. Something in him relaxed a little, and he hadn’t realized that a part of him had started to worry if this was Logan’s boyfriend or something.

“We were just going to meet some of my theater friends for lunch, do you want to join us?” Thomas asked, breaking Patton out of his thoughts.   
Patton glanced at Logan, who seemed to be trying not to meet his eyes. 

Well, Patton did have the rest of the day off, and he was a little hungry. And maybe this would make things between him and Logan less…awkward.   
“Sure,” Patton said with his easy smile. 

 

Thomas’s friends were…loud, to say the least. Though they liked to have fun, Logan had to admit. None of them batted an eye when Thomas showed up with Logan and Patton in tow. If anything, they all seemed happy to meet them. 

Logan and Patton sat at the more quiet side of the table, for a while not saying anything. Logan couldn’t say that he minded, though. It was interesting to sit back and watch the group of friends interact. Logan couldn’t help but think that Roman would blend in with this crowd perfectly. 

When the waitress came to take their order, Logan told her that his and Patton's meal would be on one check. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Patton muttered when she left. “I can pay for myself.” 

“I have no doubt that you can,” Logan said, sipping his water. “Besides, I owe you for all the coffees. Perhaps the next time we get food together, you can pay.”   
He noticed Patton’s cheeks redden slightly, and their heartbeat quickened, but he smiled nonetheless. “It’s a deal, then.” 

Now it was time for Logan’s cheek to turn pink. 

“So Patton, are you a student,” Joan, one of Thomas’s friends Logan was most familiar with considering they were always in Logan and Thomas’s room, asked.

“Oh, um, no,” Patton said. “This college is way out of my price range.” 

“Tell me about it,” Valerie said. “If it weren’t for scholarships I’d still be at home.” 

There was a chorus of agreements at that and Joan looked back at Patton. “Do you live at home, then?” 

Patton shook his head. “I have my own place, not too far from here.” 

Well…that was news to Logan. He supposed that he’d always assumed that Patton had just lived with his parents or other family or even a group of friends. It wasn’t an exactly unheard of thing around a college. It was easier to pay the bills if it was split between several people anyway. He hadn’t expected Patton to live alone. 

This got the attention of some of the other people at the table, and they started asking Patton about how and why he lived on his own, most of which, Logan noticed, Patton easily evaded. “I have to work two jobs, but it’s not that bad. Gives you something to do, you know?” “It’s just easier to live on my own.”   
Logan just sat back and listened and observed. Patton eventually led the conversation away to people’s favorite TV shows and movies, which seemed to be a much more comfortable topic for him. Logan could physically feel Patton relax as everyone’s attention was diverted. 

Logan had to admit that Patton got along well with everyone, which didn’t exactly surprise him. Patton seemed to be able to get along with the most sour looking people. 

Eventually, the conversation turned into an argument about which Pixar movie was the best. It was entertaining, to say the least.

“What about you Logan, what do you think?” Thomas asked after a particularly heated argument about Toy Story. He was smirking slightly, a playful glint in his eye. 

Logan rolled his eyes at his roommate. Thomas was often there for Roman’s rants and ravings about Disney and Pixar, and he knew how exasperated Logan always was about it. 

“Wall-E,” Logan said simply. 

“See!” someone down the table shouted. 

“You know, you do not strike me as much of a Disney person,” Talyn said as the rest of the group went back to their debate. 

“My brother’s boyfriend is a rather big fan,” Logan explained with a small sigh. “I have been subject to many marathons and rantings. Luckily, I do enjoy them, though not enough to watch through every single one of them once every three months.” 

“Is that…really something you do?” Patton asked, and Logan knew that he was holding back a laugh. 

“Yes,” Logan said seriously. “For three years, I should add, but I don’t get out of it just because I don’t live there currently. At least unless I have something important going on that requires me to get rest. Otherwise I have to set aside an entire weekend for it.” 

“That is…so cute,” Patton said, covering his mouth with his hand as he giggled. Logan couldn’t help but smile slightly. Patton’s laugh and happiness was infectious, heart-bond or no. 

 

Once their meal was over, the group parted ways. Most people went off with the same people that they came with, though Logan was quick to say goodbye to Thomas and turn to Patton with his head tilted slightly, silently asking him what now? 

Patton took a deep breath and smiled at Logan. The lunch had been nice, Patton had to admit. He liked Thomas and his friends, but more so he liked just being with Logan. During the entire time, Patton hadn’t had a chance to think once about the reason he’d gone to seek out Logan in the first place. 

Now though…

“Um, where can we go to talk?” Patton asked cautiously. 

Logan thought for a moment. “I believe that there is a park not too far from here. We could walk there.” 

Patton nodded, and Logan took that as a sign to start walking. 

For a while, they walked in silence, though Patton was desperate to get the thoughts out of his head, for a distraction. “So, uh, what’s your brother like?”   
“Virgil?” Logan asked, sounding slightly startled by the question. “He’s…well, he’s a smartass, for one,” Logan sighed, but there was a fondness to it. “When he’s comfortable with someone, he likes to bicker, but there’s no ill intent behind it. Sometimes, he just likes to argue. He’s very protective too. More than once he’s defended me from people who, well, did not like the fact that I was smarter than them. He doesn’t love easily, but when he does it’s with his whole heart.”   
Patton smiled as they walked. Logan’s voice was soft in a way he hadn’t heard before. Clearly, Logan loved his brother dearly. 

Eventually they made it to the park, where they found a bench by a lake to sit. For a moment, neither of them said anything, both of them trying to gather their thoughts. 

Patton cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about just…running off like that.” 

“It was a shock to both of us,” Logan said. “I don’t resent you for it. Honestly I didn’t quite know what to do either.” 

Patton nodded, and he leaned back against the bench with a sigh. He was thinking, debating on how much he wanted to tell Logan…how much he could stand to tell Logan anyway. His nerves started to spike. 

Soulmates are such a waste of time. 

They only destroy. 

“Patton.” 

Blinking, Patton looked at Logan, who was looking down at him with concerned eyes. “What’s going on up there?” He asked softly, tapping Patton’s temple.   
Blushing, Patton sat up a little and looked down at his lap. “A lot,” he muttered. 

Logan was quiet for a moment, and Patton knew him well enough by now to just let him think. Eventually, he looked back over at Patton. “Perhaps if you talked about what you were anxious about, I could help to soothe some of your fears. I know that this is a…well, that this is something we’ve both thought about a lot, and I don’t think it’s going how either of us expected.” 

Patton nodded, but there was so much behind his fears and worries that he didn’t know what to even start with. Logan sat patiently, letting him have his time to think. 

The two of them had only known each other a short time. How much could Patton really trust Logan with all of his deepest secrets and fears? What if knowing more about him made Logan realize that he didn’t want Patton as his heart-bound? What if Logan left today and Patton never saw him again? 

Finally, though, Patton blurted out, “I want to know more about you.”

Logan blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that answer. “Such as?” 

“Everything,” Patton says. “I don’t even know your favorite color! How can we be soulmates and I don’t know your favorite color? Or food? I mean I know your coffee preference and what you’re studying but that’s about it.” 

Logan slowly nodded. “Well, I suppose that is a fair point,” he said. “I suppose that means that…you don’t want to stop seeing me?” 

“What? Of course I want to keep seeing you!” Patton exclaimed. “I just…It was just a shock. I wanted to know about you even before we found out, but what we had going was just so nice and I didn’t want to ruin it.” 

Logan’s shoulders relaxed slightly and he smiles. “Well, then I suppose the feelings are mutual, so to speak.” 

Patton laughed and nudge him with his shoulder. “So, tell me all about Logan Sanders.” 

The smile faded slightly and he looked down at his lap. “It’s not all good, you know.” 

“No one’s life is ever all good,” Patton said. I should know, he thought, but he didn’t say it. Instead he sat back and made himself comfortable, giving Logan an expectant look.

“You would be correct there,” Logan said with a small smile. “Alright, where to start...” 

 

Logan talked for hours. He told Patton everything, from when he first found out about what a soulmate was, to when his parents died. 

The latter had been…hard, to say the least. Logan hadn’t really ever talked to anyone about it, but the more he talked about his parents and everything they did for him, the more he wanted to keep talking about them. Even the day they died. He felt that…well that Patton wouldn’t judge him for any if his feelings. No matter how hard they were to talk about. 

When Logan started to get choked up, Patton grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Logan could only give him a thankful smile. He hadn’t cried at all in…a very long time. But this week, he seemed to be crying more than ever. Patton held onto him as he spoke about everything following his parents death, things he hadn’t let himself think about in years. 

When he was finished, the sun was starting to set behind the trees in the park, and Logan’s voice was hoarse from talking for so long and his head hurting from all the crying. Patton still held his hand, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. 

Both boys were silent for a long time before Patton finally turned to face him. “I’m sorry about your parents,” he said softly. “They sound…amazing. Like they really loved you.” 

Logan nodded, looking up at the sky. The first few stars were starting to emerge. “My father introduced me to astronomy, and I’d been so obsessed with it as a child. I had these glow in the dark stars on my ceiling that I would stare at every night before I fell asleep.” 

Patton chuckled. “That’s adorable.” 

“I suppose,” Logan said with a small smile. 

Patton sighed then, squeezing Logan’s hand. “A lot of things make a lot more sense now,” he mumbled. 

“It would have been even harder to get through that without you,” Logan mumbled back. “Without you or Virgil or his parents…I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. They were the only family I had. The only ones who cared about me, anyway.” Logan hated how his lips trembled and the loss and loneliness surged through him. He tried to push them back, but suddenly Patton was pulling him close and forcing him to look at him. 

“Stop,” Patton said, rather forcefully. “Stop pushing back your emotions. Stop putting us through that. It’s okay to feel sad and angry. It’s okay to mourn them. It’s okay to hurt.” 

Logan felt his eyes fill with tears and he blinked, letting them roll down his cheek. “It hurts too much. I don’t want to feel like that ever again.” 

“I know,” Patton said softly, reaching up to brush away Logan’s tears. “It’s hard, but you’re not a robot, Lo. Burying yourself in school isn’t going to help anything. Let yourself feel.” 

Logan squeezed his eyes shut, more tears slipping out. Patton was right, of course he was right, but at this point Logan didn’t really know what to do. He’d been pushing back all of his emotions for so long, it felt like, that he didn’t even know where to start. 

Patton pulled him into a tight hug, which seemed to just the start of it. Logan cried, clinging to Patton like a lifeline. 

For Patton’s credit, he didn’t waver once. Not when Logan noticed that he was sniffing too, no doubt overcome with Logan’s own emotions. Logan wanted to pull back, take everything back, because he didn’t want to put Patton through all of this. He didn’t deserve it. 

“It’s okay Lo,” Patton muttered. “We…we’re supposed to be able to take care of each other right?” Patton sniffed again. “Besides I don’t mind this because it helps you.” 

Logan pulled back slightly, sniffling a little. Patton’s eyes were red and puffy behind his glasses, and he tried for smile but it didn’t quite work. “Thank you, Patton,” Logan said. 

The smile Patton gave him then was a little more genuine. Logan leaned back and took off his glasses, rubbing at his eyes. He felt exhausted now, and there was a lot that he wanted to think about on his own. 

“We should go,” Logan said, standing and pulling Patton with him. “You have work in the morning.” 

Patton sighed but he nodded. “Will you actually come see me tomorrow morning?” he asked, bumping Logan’s shoulder with his own. 

Logan rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Yes, I will come see you tomorrow,” he promised. 

They walked to a nearby bus stop where they waited, now talking about other things—interests, hobbies, dislikes. Things felt a bit more…casual between them now. A little more like they were before they’d found out about their soul marks. Logan told him all about his adoptive family, whom he honestly did love, despite the fact that he was still mourning his parents in his own way. He’d always cared for the Sanders, though, and he’d be forever grateful for their kindness and love. 

Patton told Logan a little bit about his jobs, all the people he sees every day. It was rather fascinating to Logan, and he liked watched how Patton told stories. He was a bit like Roman, in the fact that he was very animated with his stories, but he wasn’t as loud. He spoke like Logan was the only person in the world he wanted to talk to, which just held Logan’s attention even more. 

When they reached Patton’s stop, he turned to Logan with a smile. “Goodnight Lo. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Logan smiled back. “See you tomorrow,” he said, and Patton rushed off the bus before the doors could close, waving to Logan as he did so.


End file.
